The present invention relates to waveguides and pertains particularly to a flexible waveguide.
Many sensing units are mounted on gimbals within airframes such as missiles and the like. The sensor must transmit waves from the seeker or sensing head to other data or information handling or utilizing equipment. It is essential that any device for transferring the waves from the gimbal-mounted seeker to the other equipment not interfere with the operation of the gimbal itself. Any unnecessary torque or force on the gimbal may cause it to drift appreciably, thereby interfering with the accuracy of the system. Very often the drift-rate requirement for a seeker gimbal is as low as 0.05 degrees per second in order to provide the necessary accuracy in the guidance system.
While one potential solution to this problem is to use a rate gyroscope to compensate for drift caused by the wave guides, space limitations make the mounting of a compensating gyro very difficult as well as adding more weight to the system. Moreover, such a solution can also result in restricting the look angle of the seeker.
The present invention was developed to satisfy the need in terms of size, weight and cost of guiding the millimeter waves from a gimbal mounted sensor. The present invention provides an improved flexible millimeter waveguide.